Disha NEET Physics Guide for classes 11 and 12.pdf
The Rape of the as a mock epic.docx
1. The Rape of the Lock” as a mock epic
The Rape of the Lock as a mock epicQuestion: ( 2 ) : Consider the
poem ‘The Rape of the Lock’ as a mock epic.Answer: Mock epic is a narrative poem which
aims at mockery and laughter by using almost all the characteristic features of an epic but
for a trivial subject. Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock is a famous mock-epic. In it,
there are invocation to Muses, proposition of subject, battles, supernatural machinery,
journey on water, underworld journey, long speeches, feasts (coffee house), Homeric
similes and grand style but all for a simple family dispute instead of a national struggle. The
grand treatment of a low subject produces hilarious laughter and makes the story more
ridiculous.Firstly, Paradise Lost a long epic poem by John Milton begins with the
proposition of justification of God’s way to man with nice invocation to the Muses. And
another epic poem titled The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser follows the same manner.
The subject matters in both of the epic poems are grand. Like the epic poems, the poem The
Rape of the Lock opens with the proposition of the subject matter and Pope’s invocation to
the Muses to help him compose the literary art. Such a grand treatment of a trivial subject
matter like the clipping of the lock of Belinda provokes laughter when the poet says:I sing –
this verse to Caryll, Muse! Is due:This, ev’n Belinda may vouchsafe to view:Secondly, in The
Iliad ‘, Homer describes in considerable detail the armor and weaponry of the great Achilles,
as well as the battlefield trappings of other heroes. In the poem The Rape of the Lock Pope
describes Belinda preparing herself with combs and pins – with Puffs, Powders, Patches –
nothing that Now awful Beauty puts on all its Arms. This is nothing but funny.Thirdly, the
ritual sacrifices the Baron performs in the pre-dawn hours are another mock-heroic
element of the poem, mimicking the epic tradition of sacrificing to the gods before an
important battle or journey, and drapes his project with an absurdly grand import that
actually only exposes its triviality. The fact that he discards all his other love tokens in these
preparations reveals his capriciousness as a lover. Earnest prayer, in this parody scene, is
replaced by the self-indulgent sighs of the lover.Then prostrate falls and begs with ardent
eyesSoon to obtain and long possess the prize:Fourthly, an epic poem must contain
episodes also. In keeping with this practice Pope has introduced the episodes of the game of
Omber which suggests the mighty battle and the cards imply the soldiers described in great
detail. Then there is the battle between the lords and ladies just like the battles in epic
poetry. But in true mock-heroic style this battle is fought with fans and snuff instead of with
swords and spears. There are single combats also between Belinda and the Baron and
between Clarissa and Sir Plume. This symbolises nothing but a battle of sexual perversion
2. near Hampton Court just the opposite to the mighty battles that we find in The Aneid and in
The Faerie Queene Red Cross Knight’s battle with the monster Error.Fifthly, another vital
element of an epic poem is the active participation of supernatural machinery just as
Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, who rescues Aeneas in The Iliad when he is attacked by
Diomedes. In The Rape of the lock , there are the sylphs and gnomes. These aerial spirits are
small and insignificant things, and are, therefore, exactly in keeping with the triviality of the
theme. They guard the person of the heroine and when there is fight between the followers
of Belinda and those of the Baron, they take part in fight, like gods and goddesses in the
Trojan War. Pope has described the protecting sylphs under Ariel. In that the sylphs are the
parodies of epic deities.Sixthly, a long perilous journey on water is a must in an epic. But
here in the poem Belinda takes a comfortable journey on water without any tension and
peril. She travels up the Thames in a boat to join Hampton Court to play the game of Omber
adorning her attractively. Seventhly, it is another important event of epic to take an
underworld journey. It is generally done in order to take some effective pieces of advice
from the lower world, Hades. Like supernatural beings in classical epics, a gnome named
Umbriel descends to the Underworld on Belinda’s behalf and obtains a bag of sighs and a
vial of tears from the Queen of Spleen. With these magical gifts, he means to comfort poor
Belinda. First, he empties the bag on her in stead. The reversal of the epic quality is nothing
but mocking in tone.Repair’d to search the gloomy cave of Spleen.Swift on his sooty pinions
flits the gnome,Eighthly, the mock-heroic character of the poem is perceived in the very
title. Rape is a serious moral offence which means the violation of a woman’s chastity by
force. It also refers to the seizure of a lady by some ruffians in grossly inhuman manner. In
any case, rape is a grave crime, affecting the social decency of a human being. Pope has used
this term in an amusing manner. The possession of the hair of Belinda by the Baron is
described by him in a mock vein. The title evokes nothing but the mock heroic sensation
and well indicates the mock-heroic character of Pope’s work.Ninthly, Homer’s Iliad and
Odyssey, and Virgil’s Aneid all end happily for their respective heroes, though perhaps at
the expense of their enemies. Pope, wisely following his own advice, likewise concludes the
poem with a mocking consolation to Belinda that:This lock, the Muse shall consecrate to
fame,And mid’st the stars inscribe Belinda’s name!Pope’s ending is just one example of how
he mocks society through epic form, as well as mocks earlier literary works. A lock of hair is
a ridiculous object to eternally memorialize.From above discussion, it becomes clear that
Pope follows the epic conventions of Homer, Dante and Virgil very minutely but for trivial a
matter and he has heightened the title, exalted the insignificant, in order to make the little
and the insignificant look more ridiculous. He employs the mock-heroic form, not to mock
the epic form, but to show the triviality of mean things by contrasting them with great
things. This is the true mock-heroic style. So it can be undoubtedly said that the poem The
Rape of the Lock is a successful mock-epic. TOrtoise care startA desert tortoise
(Gopherus agassizii) diet is comprised mainly of safe grasses and weeds, leafy greens, with
small amounts of hard vegetables and moist fruits. A good basic salad can be prepared a
week in advance and fed daily with selections from the following served in addition to it.All
tortoises need pesticide- and herbicide-free forage (grasses and weeds) for grazing. You can
grow your own in your backyard and let your tortoises graze on it, after first making sure
3. your yard is escape-proof. Another way is to build a safe pen or corral for the tortoises, and
seed it with the forage. You can make it more decorative by planting edible ornamental
plants around the perimeter and inside. Information on edible and harmful plants can be
found at my Plant Information & Identification page. For tortoises that must be kept inside
during inclement weather, you can seed nursery flats with the seeds and let them graze on
them or take cuttings for them.If you feed your tortoises too much of the foods that should
be fed in relatively small amounts or occasionally, you risk causing health problems, ranging
from diarrhea to kidney disease. There apparently has been a problem with people not
reading this entire page, so I have reorganized it to put the emphasis on the forage.85%
Grasses and weeds; dark, leafy greens; cactus…Grasses and WeedsForaging Mix Alfalfa hay
or pellets Bermuda grass Fresh clover Clover hay Rye grass Rice
grass Mallow SowthistleDead PlantsDon’t be an overly fastidious groundskeeper. Tortoises
enjoy munching on dried brown leaves and stalks as much as they do the fresh plant. Top
off your edible greens and ornamentals and drop them in the tortoise pen; depending on
their mood, the tortoises will eat them fresh or ignore them until they are nice and
brittle.Leafy GreensThese should make up no more than half (and ideally much less) of your
tortoise forage: Cabbage** Chard** Collards Dandelion greens and flowers Endive Grape
leaves Kale** Mustard greens Parsley* Spinach* Turnip greens Watercress* These are high
in calcium oxalates that may bind calcium causing metabolic bone disease, and may cause
visceral gout (mineralization/crystallization of the soft tissues and internal organs). Feed
sparingly. ** These are high in goitrogens, which impair thyroid function when fed in excess.
Feed sparingly.Don’t feed at all as they have little or no nutrition:Iceberg lettuce Boston
lettuce Romaine lettuce Red- and Green-leaf lettuceCactus:Opuntia cactus pads and flowers
(high in water content) 15% Vegetables…Acorn squash Bell Peppers, red and
green Broccoli** Butternut squash Carrots Green beans Lentils Peas Potatoes (cooked,
plain) Pumpkin and other winter squash Rice (cooked, plain) Snow peas Sweet
potatoes Turnip**These are high in goitrogens, which impair thyroid function when fed in
excess. Feed sparingly.Feed sparingly as these are low in
nutritionCorn Cucumbers Radishes Sprouts (alfalfa, bean, and grain) ZucchiniOccasional
foodsApples (no seeds) Apricots (no pits) Avocados (no pits or
leaves) Bananas Berries Cantaloupe (with scrubbed rind) Figs Grapes Mangos (no
pit) Oranges (not for hatchlings) Papayas (ripe, no seeds) Peaches (no pit) Pears (no
seeds) Plums Tomatoes (not for hatchlings)Mixed Veggie Salad The following, based on my
green iguana salad, can be fed occasionally:1/2 cup shredded raw green beans 1/2 cup
shredded raw squash (acorn, butternut, banana, kabocha, pumpkin, summer) 1/2 cup
shredded raw parsnip 3/4 cup alfalfa pellets or 1/8 cup alfalfa powder from the health food
store 1/4 cup fruitMix thoroughly together. Add in or sprinkle on salad a multivitamin
supplement and a calcium supplement as recommended. Store in a sealed food storage
container. Stays fresh for 6-7 days. Additional quantities may be frozen. Add a pinch of
thiamine to the defrosted salad to replace the thiamin lost through the defrosting
process…and flowers and houseplants for grazing treats.For more information on edible
and harmful plants, please see the Plant Information & Identification page.Ficus benjamina
(note: the milky sap may be irritating to skin, eyes and gastrointestinal
